St.Ives 15 - Oundle 16
St. Ives hosted Oundle in this vital league fixture for both clubs. Both hoped to record their first league victory of the season. St. Ives re-jigged the pack due to injuries and unavailability with veteran prop Steve Parks slotting into the second row and Tom Milner welcomed into the back row.
Oundle started the stronger of the two teams with sustained early pressure but it was St Ives who had the opportunity to take the lead with a penalty 25 yards out, but Fly Half Jack Blackley pushed the kick to the right of the post. Indiscipline by St. Ives allowed Oundle to take the lead with a penalty half way through the second half. St. Ives had an excellent opportunity to score a try towards the end of the first half with quick play by James Cannon releasing Dave Williams who was unable to provide the pass for Matt Lippard to score.
Two half time substitutions by Captain Ross Thompson saw the game swing to St. Ives’ favour. Mike Sykes and John Paxton were brought into Outside centre and Full Back respectively. However Saints suffered a early set back with Oundle stretching their lead with a deft chip allowing a score under the posts. St. Ives kicked into gear after this with a frantic ten minutes, first scrum half Dan Stewart chased up his own kick, to score a thoroughly deserved try in the corner. Winger Williams capped a great team move to score in the opposite corner. Minutes later Paxton scored a near carbon copy to give St. Ives the lead. Sykes the provider for both tries. St. Ives had opportunities to extend the lead and put Oundle out of touch, but as many times this season the final pass was lacking. The final twenty minutes saw tense end to end action. Oundle were able to take the lead with two penalties under the post. These proved decisive and gave Oundle the win. Blackley had two chances to win the game for St. Ives in the last 5 minutes with penalties but both drifted wide of the posts. After taking the game to Oundle in the second half with some excellent running rugby orchestrated by Blackley and solid scrimmaging from the front five St. Ives can count themselves unlucky not to have gained more from this game.
St. Ives’ next league game is on 7th January at Bedford Queens where they hope to seal that elusive league win.